The situation of people around the globe is not all pleasant. The selective distribution of wealth and various forms of discrimation make life difficult for a lot of people. We need to be more conscious of what is going on around us. In the coming days I will stress the importance of social justice and the impact that it can have on a person’s quality of life.

This campaign is inspired from the basic principles which define social justice. I shall be highlighting the implications of the economic imbalance between the extremely wealthy who enjoy a lavish and wasteful lifestyle and the poor who struggle to make ends meet. I feel the need to underline the reality of poverty and social injustice, so that we may understand them better as a society.

The government’s media machine bombards us with propaganda that all is going well in Malta, so much so that at times they even claim that Malta is the envy of other European countries. Nothwitstanding this public relations effort by the government, poverty in our country is a reality which is on the increase.

Most of us can say that we are in a relatively comfortable situation, yet we need to understand that a number of our fellow citizens have limited access to basic human needs and are not finding the support they require. With complete disregard to such a reality, those at the top are usually the first to claim that those struggling are exaggerating or lazy. I percieve this lack of compassion to be the highest form of poverty.

Sometimes we end up detached from the world around us as we go about our daily lives. Unfortunately, the easiest way out is to convince ourselves that poverty is somebody else’s problem and that the solution to poverty is beyond our control.

This may make us think that as individuals all we can do is donate  a few items or small amounts of money to those in need. Such gestures are welcome but my argument is that we need to focus on the bigger picture and the root causes of poverty. 

The various forms of social exclusion and social injustice are linked together. We need to understand that human rights are being trampled on and that the environment is being completely disregarded. The gap between social classes is becoming larger and therefore the distribution of wealth needs to be more balanced.

Poverty in our country is a reality which is on the increase- Ivan Bartolo

During this social justice campaign, my colleagues and I will seek to reach as many people as possible to spread the messge that everyone is entitled to a dignified life and that we can all work towards a better world. We want to ensure that the person is at the centre of our social and economic systems.

Let us also all reflect on our behaviour towards immigrants, let us stop and think if we are truly valuing them as human beings or else as simply an opportunity for use and abuse by whoever is seeking to make money. 

One cannot deny the fact that a few employers disregard the law and promote precarious work and low earning jobs. Maltese citizens are also at risk of such an abuse but it is widely accepted that immigrant workers are much more likely to be victims of such behaviour.

This vicious cycle is sustained out of fear which is generated among abused workers and who as a result refrain from filing police reports against employers. Another prevalent form of abuse, which is related to employment, is human trafficking for work under appaling conditions. We simply cannot react with indifference to these realities around us.

The United Nations General Asssembly was very correct in 2007 in choosing February 20 as World Day for Social Justice. This day presents the hope that as politicians we are duty bound to deliver.

We can start by refusing an egoistical and individualistic lifestyle and promoting more awareness about people at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder.

Ivan Bartolo is the Nationalist Party spokesperson on social housing and poverty reduction.